Tom Cruise and Demi Moore shared the screen in the 1992 blockbuster A Few Good Men, a gripping legal drama that captivated audiences worldwide. However, behind the scenes, a controversial decision almost altered the course of the film.
Moore, who played Navy attorney Joanne Galloway in the film, has recently revealed that a studio executive had insisted on adding a s*x scene between her and Cruise. However, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin stood firm against the exploitative request.
Demi Moore Reveals Studio’s Push for S*x Scene with Tom Cruise
Based on Aaron Sorkin’s 1989 play of the same name, A Few Good Men follows Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway (Demi Moore) and Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Cruise) as they join forces to uncover the truth in a high-stakes military trial.
However, some studio executives were not entirely satisfied with the original story and sought to inject sensationalism into the film by involving its lead stars in a different way.
In a recent interview with The Los Angeles Times, Moore revealed how a studio executive had demanded the inclusion of a s*x scene between Tom Cruise and Moore’s characters, believing that it was the primary reason the actress was cast in the movie.
“Well, then why did we hire Demi Moore?” the actress recalled the executive’s words. The film’s screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, however, refused to follow up with the demand to add unnecessary sensationalism to the movie.
Sorkin has previously revealed the same during a 2011 writer’s roundtable discussion with The Hollywood Reporter. He recalled how an executive questioned why Moore’s character was a woman if there wasn’t going to be an intimate scene with Cruise.
“I said the obvious answer: women have purposes other than to sleep with Tom Cruise,” Sorkin recalled his firm stance against the In Touch Week suggestion.
Demi Moore Reflects on Progress in Hollywood
During her interview with The Los Angeles Times, Demi Moore also opened up about the slow yet significant progress the film industry has made regarding the issue of exploitation and sexism.
Reflecting on how the industry’s mindset at the time was conditioned to accept such practices, she said,
I think that it’s how they were conditioned — It was a part of the accepted conditioning — that of course that’s why they would have someone like me there.
However, she also argued that while the change has been gradual, the strides made are undeniable. The actress further noted, “We’ve actually come an enormous distance.”
Moore further argued that while the past cannot be justified, it’s essential to move forward constructively, saying,
It doesn’t make it OK, but we can’t hit a hammer over it. We have to move [forward]. It really starts with us.
Moore is set to return to the screen with her upcoming body horror film, The Substance, starring alongside Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid. The film, which premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, has received positive reviews and is set to release on September 20, 2024.
A Few Good Men is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video.
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